Earthling Project Part 3
by Lucy McGonagle
Summary: Once again, where we left off. Please read, and enjoy and please drop a review


Disclaim: the usual…don't own c.l., do own Gilis, and the language in here. I made it up.

Chapter 12 (Jeremie) A week Later-6:45 A.M.

"Jeremie! Jeremie, please, wake up!"

My eyes flew open, then closed immediately. "What!"

I heard a soft laugh. A musical laugh, almost-

"You were talking in your sleep. I wanted to tell you Jeremie, I've been thinking a bit lately."

I covered my eyes from the sunlight that was streaming in through the windows. "More that usual, you mean, Princess?"

The soft laugh sounded again. "Yes. You mentioned a long while ago, that you were much interested with languages. Why do you not take one at your school?"

"Ulrich takes German, so naturally, Sissy is in the class too. And Odd is in Spanish, and they have to sing in class. I don't sing."

"And Yumi?"

"She grew up being bilingual, thanks to her parents being Japanese."

"Being what?"

"Japan is a country very, very far away from where we live. But most of Yumi's ancestry is there, and Japanese is the language they speak. I think she moved here when she was a kid."

"Does she actually speak in it?"

"When she's really, really angry, yeah." I smirked slightly, my eyes still closed. "She yelled at Sissy and Herb once, and didn't realize she had been yelling in Japanese until later. She's already taught Ulrich a couple swear words in Japanese, just to make him stop asking her to teach him the entire language." I finally let my eyes get used to the light, rolled over, and looked a question at Aelita. The beauty of the sun itself had nothing on this girl. The look of laughter in her face was catching, and I couldn't help smiling.

Aelita's smile turned slightly sly. "Well, I was wondering, perhaps, my Jeremie, if you wouldn't mind me teaching you a few phrases or so of my language. My true language."

"Of Lyoko?" Aelita nodded, smiling, and my mouth fell open. "Me? Learn the-the language of your world? I don't know if I could do justice to it!"

Aelita gave me a get-real sort of look. "Come now, _mu boinden_. You are the cleverest, most ingenious boy of your age, and older." She smiled widely. "A handsome boy of your nature should be able to learn my language, and there you are."

I coughed, blushing. "Uh-handsome?"

Aelita just laughed. "You know how I feel about you, Jeremie, and yes, you are. Quite handsome. Don't fish for complements. Odd does that, and you know it doesn't get him anywhere."

I guessed I deserved that, and told her so, earning more laughter. A music of it's own, not to mention those amazing black eyes, with their dark green pupils-

"Jeremie? What are you thinking about?"

"You," I told her, turning the tables a little. Although Aelita couldn't really blush when she was in her virtual form, a highlight of the lightest pink appeared on her cheeks. She certainly looked flattered.

"Stop it," she said, smiling widely in spite of herself.

"Why? It's too much fun to flirt with you to stop, Princess. I was too nervous about it before, so I'm making up for not telling you how amazing you are."

Aelita smiled. "You always did, in a unconscious way. There…" she stopped, looking a little embarrassed.

"What?"

She lifted her eyes to look straight into mine. "There is a certain-tone your voice and eyes take when you're trying to complement me in a way that you're saying less than you're thinking. So you won't sound like you're flirting. I find it quite charming, believe it or not. It's definitely one the innumerable reasons why I fell for you, Jeremie."

I had no idea what to say to that. I just knew I was blushing like crazy.

Aelita smiled wider, taking advantage of my stunned silence. "So, Jeremie, you never answered my question. Do you want to learn some of my language, or not?"

"How could I say no?"

"Easily, young man. You can turn that game off, and tell me what in the world is going on here."

I spun, hearing Aelita gasp two seconds after a familiar voice spoke angrily behind me.

It was the Phys. Ed. Teacher, Jim. "God, Jim," I exclaimed, still freaked. "You can sure sound like the principle when you want to." Jim didn't laugh, or smile, but pointed a large finger at me.

"That's that second time I've caught you playing that strange game, or what ever it is. What is it? I come down the hall, and I hear you, and some girl talking about languages. At 7:00, I might add. "

Jim, even with his ever-messy sweat suit, headband, spiky hair, and huge stature, did his best to look menacing. I bit my lip, glanced at the now empty computer screen, and sighed.

"It was nothing, Jim. Just an e-mail thing from a friend of mine. It's very close to me though." Jim raised an eyebrow.

"Very close to you, and the voice is a girl's. And I thought you were not the girl-chasing type, Mr. Beloplis. I'm surprised."

"Cha-chasing girls?" I stammered, face going red. "I-I'm not chasing girls."

Jim gave me a look that clearly said 'yeah, right'. "You're a young teenager, Jeremie, no matter how many science books you read." This made no sense to me, whatsoever. Jim gave me a searching look. "Well, as the fact you turned it off, whatever it was, I believe you. It better be what you say, Mr. Beloplis, or you'll be reported."

I made a sarcastic army solute. "Yes, sir." Jim rolled his eyes, and left, slamming the door behind him. Almost at once, I heard a very muffled giggle coming from the computer.

"That was not funny, Aelita," I said, glaring at the empty screen. "You were almost discovered."

'"Chasing girls!"' came a quiet, but hysteric shriek. "Oh, that was funny."

"Was not," I retorted. Aelita appeared back on the screen, still giggling slightly.

"Haven't I met him before? That man? And what is this 'Beloplis?'"

"My last name," I told her, sighing. "My family name, sort of. And yeah, he helped us for a while, Jim did. But then he forgot about, after you left. The 'Return to the Past' trip did a real dosey on him. We ended up returning farther back that I had expected. He doesn't remember a thing."

"_A blessing or a curse, but really, which is worse_?"

I stared at her. "What?"

Aelita grinned sheepishly. "Just something I made up once."

"You made that up? Is it some sort of poem or something?"

Aelita shrugged. "I guess so. So, do you wish to start now with learning the language?"

I nodded eagerly. "Sure, Princess, why not? Hey, do you think the others would want to learn this too?"

Aelita smiled. "We could ask them later. I wouldn't be surprised if Odd and Ulrich would just be happy learning curse words in my language, and that was it."

I rolled my eyes, chuckling. "Truer words were never spoken about those two."

Aelita shook her head, eyes twinkling. "I'll agree to that." She then fixed an almost stern gaze on me. "Now then, Master Jeremie, you are here to learn the noble and ancient language of Lyoko. Are you prepared to be instructed?"

()()()()()()() (Aelita)

Ever since I've known Jeremie, I always knew in the back of my head that he was a very good learner. I, however, hadn't really been able to put that theory to practice, until I decided to teach him my language.

The adjective 'very good' is a huge understatement, when it comes to my Jeremie.

In two and a half human hours, Jeremie had memorized twenty-five short phrases, some of which I couldn't help laughing over, when he first tried to pronounce them.

"_Ira ton donte-"_

"Ira tun dony," Jeremie echoed almost immediately, and I giggled. It was half-correct, but sounded so strange coming from Jeremie.

Jeremie made a face at me. "What does that one mean, then, Princess?" he asked, half-amused, and half-cross.

'"In true danger', but I wasn't finished. The full phrase is _ira ton donte, culi ara warnta,_ or 'in true danger, everyone's a warrior.' It's what you might call a proverb."

Jeremie sighed loudly, rubbing his face with his hands. "You say it, and I could listen to it forever. I say it, and it curdles like milk."

"Like what?"

"Milk," Jeremie told me, smiling slightly. "It's something we drink on Earth. When it goes bad, it curdles, and smells awful."

"Oh, joy," I said, jokingly sarcastic. "But really, Jeremie. You are doing quite well for your first try, _mu boinden._ You've learned more phrases in the time we have spent than I would have in an entire day. Don't put yourself down."

Jeremie blushed. "Thanks, Aelita," he muttered, as bashful as he had been before the fateful Halloween Dance. I smiled.

"Don't thank me, dear Jeremie. You deserve every good thing anyone has ever said to you, and a hundred times over." Jeremie flapped a hand at me, his face now bright red. I grinned. "You are too much fun," I told him. "Too easy to fall for, too easy to flirt with, too sweet and handsome for words…"

"Aelita…"Jeremie said warningly, his face more purple than red. My grin widened.

"Oh, all right, silly. You'll probably get me back for that later."

Jeremie grinned, his blush fading. "Make no mistake, my Princess. Make no mistake." He sobered slightly, and smiled, almost sheepishly. "Aelita, could you do me a favor?" His face started to get pink again. "Um-could you sing, in your language? For me?"

I gaped at him in slight surprise. "Of course! Why would I refuse?" Jeremie grinned, and closed his eyes.

"It's the closed thing to being with you truly," he said softly, leaning back in his chair. "Until you can come back to Earth."

I pondered that for a moment, then began to sing softly.

"_Inla tuve tilia_

_Irus…_

_Inla irus_

_Onta donda _

_Recibar ci _

_Colitia_

_Irus, irus_

_Mu boinden ci laro_

_Enra sor… _

_Enra sor._"

I stopped, and saw that Jeremie was asleep. Smiling slightly, I ended the connection, still humming the lullaby I had just sung.

"_In all that sings, love, in all love. Over worlds receiving grace, blessed be love. Love, my heart-holder graces the world forever, forever."_

I smiled wryly. When had I become such a romantic? When Jeremie first kissed me? No. Far before that. Far, far before that night of love and fear.I shuddered, remembering what had happened so soon after that kiss. Gilis had return-

_Boom! _

I jumped about as high as the polar region tower, but quickly recovered. Looking down over the ice plateau I was sitting on, I cursed softly. Pulsations-the mark of a X.A.N.A. attack-rippled along the ground light blue against the white ground.

I scowled, seeing the far off figures of what looked to be two packs of 'bugs'-ten roachsters, already taking their places to aim lasers at any movement.

"I must warn Jeremie."

Chapter 13- Jeremie

"What the heck is this supposed to be?"

It was now 9:30, and all four of us-me, Ulrich, Yumi and Odd-were sitting at the breakfast table.

Odd was pointing at the greenish mass on his plate.

"Lime jelly?" I guessed, trying to figure out what it was.

"Yeah, right," Yumi muttered. "For breakfast?" She looked at her own tray and shuddered. "Then again, I wouldn't put it past them. They have some weird things for breakfast."

Odd, Ulrich and I exchanged glances. "You, Ms. Lucky-Day-Student, have no idea," Ulrich told her, and Odd and I nodded. Yumi laughed.

"I guess I don't. Hey, Jeremie, did you talk to Aelita yet?"

I nodded. "Oh, yeah. She's taken to teaching me her language."

Yumi, Odd and Ulrich all stared at me.

"Of Lyoko?" Odd asked, raising an eyebrow. "That language?"

Ulrich looked skeptical. "The one she sings in to move Lyoko around?"

I nodded again. "Yep. It's actually not that bad, though I think I'm basically killing it." Right then, I thought about telling them about the incident with Jim that morning, but then realized something. If Aelita laughed at the 'chasing girls' thing, these three would never let me live it down. I knew them too well for that.

I saw Ulrich and Yumi trade skeptical looks.

"What?"

"You killing the language is about as probable as me eating this," Yumi told me, gesturing to the still-nameless glob on her-and everyone else's-tray. "You've known Aelita the longest, and obviously the best-" she winked, and I felt a blush creep up my face at the innuendo. "It seems to me that you'd be the better of the four of us."

I shook my head. "You guys have actually seen her use it. I want to, but I haven't. Is it as beautiful as it sounds over the computer?" I blushed again after I said this, but they didn't seem to feel like teasing me about it.

"Yeah, I guess," Odd said. Then he shivered. "Down right freaky though. Eerie, like a ghost. You can tell it's magic."

I nodded, remembering the way my hair first stood slightly on end when Aelita sang to me that morning. "It's like the air is singing with her," I said softly, thinking of the peaceful, but strange feeling I had had.

"Oh my God, save us. He's become a poet," Ulrich said loudly, as Yumi and Odd snorted. Then he checked his watch and looked at us: me, still glaring half-heartedly at the three of them, and Odd and Yumi still laughing. "It's about time to go to study hall. C'mon." He stood, and the three of us followed suit.

Five minuets later, we had reached the library for Study Hall. Odd, Ulrich were preparing for their normal 'paper-ball tennis', that they played almost, if not all the time. Yumi sat next to Ulrich, thought she, like me, had learned to keep a safe distance away from those two: they hit that paper ball _hard_. I smiled, listening to Odd commenting like a sports announcer, like he always did, and opened my laptop to talk with Aelita.

The normally blue and green screen was blank. I frowned, and typed in the password that would connect with Lyoko.

Nothing happened. Then, very softly, I heard what sounded like static coming from the sound system. Leaning closer, I listened hard, hoping someone would just think the sound was a radio. Then, finally, I though I heard a voice.

"Attack-'eremie-X.A.N.A. 'as taken out holomap-enemy is coming-"

"Aelita?" I whispered into the sound speaker. "Is that you?"

"S.O.S.-X.A.N.A.-woken-help-love you, Jeremie-"

"What!"

Completing forgetting where I was, I jumped up, suddenly scared. Everyone in the room glared at me, except for Yumi, Ulrich and Odd. They looked apprehensive.

"Jeremie?" Jim, who always supervised the study hall, looked at me, the same suspicious look on his face as this morning.

"I-I need to go to the bathroom," I said quickly. I gave a single, 'go to the factory!' look at my friends, Odd still holding the paper ball, then ran out before Jim thought better of letting me go.

()()()()()() Aelita

Ten megatanks. Ten roachsters. Three hornets.

All of them looking for me. None of them thinking to look up.

I closed my eyes, praying that it was Jeremie who had answered over my call. Instincts had told me there was something very, _very_ wrong with the Lyoko-Earth connection.

"What the-Aelita!"

I jumped as Jeremie's voice suddenly echoed, loud and clear, around me.

"Thank the gods," I breathed. Raising my voice so he could hear me I asked, "Jeremie? Is there something wrong with your equipment?"

"Yeah," Jeremie answered, sounding stressed. "The holomap is totally blank. I can hear everything, I just can't see anything. Is this X.A.N.A.'s attack?"

"I'm afraid so, Jeremie. Or part of it. Can you still send Yumi, Ulrich and Odd?"

"I don't know. How many monsters?" I told him, and heard him let out a low whistle.

"Jezz," I heard Odd say. "X.A.N.A.'s sure laying it thick."

I nodded, even if he couldn't see me. "I think I need to try to go it alone."

Of all things, this was not what my four friends had expected.

"With that many enemies?" Ulrich asked, incredulously.

"Shut up, man. Aelita can do anything! Go girl!" Yumi said, almost happily. "Show those idiots whose world it is!"

"Yumi, shut up, that's not funny!"

"No, Odd, I won't."

"Aelita, are you sure about this?" Jeremie's voice was soft compared to the other three. "Against those monsters? I don't want you hurt. You know that." I smiled.

"I know, Jeremie. I will come back. I promised, remember?"

I heard Jeremie sigh. "I know. But I'm gonna try to send them in-"the background bickering between Odd, Ulrich and Yumi stopped-"just in case. I still think I can, so I'm gonna try it."

The idea hit me so suddenly, I gasped. "What?" Jeremie asked, obviously startled.

"Virtualize those three, then get into the scanner," I told him, softly. "I virtualized you once before. We need all eyes here, now."

"Einstein? In Lyoko?" Odd said, and from his voice, I could tell he was grinning.

"This is gonna be awesome," Yumi and Ulrich said together. I heard Jeremie sigh.

"You mean, this is gonna be insane," he corrected them. "But I agree. I'm no use here if I can't see anything." I heard reseeding footsteps, and the sound of a machine-the elevator in the factory.

"I'll see you in a few moments, then."

I heard Jeremie chuckle in spite of himself. "This will be interesting. Be careful till I get there, Princess."

I smiled. "I'll be right here, Jeremie. Waiting for you."

Awwww lol. Well…Jeremie's goin' to Lyoko…this will be FUN! Please review, and I'll update asap.


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